James Edward Davy

Mr. Davy is survived by his wife, Evelyn, daughters Kim Given and Emily Norwig, son Chris, son-in-law John Norwig, and grandchildren Erin Norwig, Nick Norwig, Luke Norwig, Christopher Davy and Jay Davy.

His oldest son, Joey, died of cancer in 1984, while attending Lipscomb University.

Mr. Davy was a member and long-time deacon of the Crieve Hall Church of Christ which he attended with his wife of 63 years. They were founding members of the church which first met in a private home. He was a graduate of Nashville’s North High and David Lipscomb College, now Lipscomb University, which recognized him with the Avalon Award for creative excellence.

He was the son of James Bernard Davy and Anna Lee Hensley. He was preceded in death by his sister, Barbara Sue Cundall. Known for his distinctive Southern voice and laugh with a humorous drawl, Mr. Davy was a popular after-dinner speaker and guest on Nashville radio and TV shows during his 45 years as a sportswriter. He began his career at the Tennessean while still in college, was drafted into the Army, and returned to the paper after this military service.

“I started on a 90-day trial at the Tennessean newspaper when I was still in college and never had another job,’’ he told Voices of Nashville Journalism. He often credited his wife, a Metro school teacher, for supporting his long and eventful career which meant working unusual hours and being on the road much of the year.

Mr. Davy and his sports editor, the late John Bibb, were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of an illegal steroids scandal at Vanderbilt University in 1985. The pair won a Best of Gannett award for the investigation, the highest honor in the chain of 82 newspapers.

He said of covering the story, “I made enemies with that story, enemies with people I had had friendships with. It was the most bittersweet thing I ever did.

“Usually in a story like that, it was taken away from sports and given to the news guys, but our editor John Seigenthaler allowed me and Bibb and our court reporter Kirk Loggins, a great newsman, to have it.

“I found the source of the steroids. It was most difficult. My son who had cancer passed away in 1984 so it was doubly difficult for me.’’

Mr. Davy said his career in sports began by being a ball boy for the Nashville Vols baseball team at Sulphar Dell in Nashville which was within walking distance of his North Nashville home.

At the Tennessean, he covered high school sports, including the first integrated basketball game in the city. As the Vanderbilt University beat writer for 20 years, Mr. Davy also covered the late Perry Wallace, the first African American to play basketball in the SEC as a star at Vanderbilt.

Of Wallace, who he greatly admired, Davy said, “He was fully aware of what would happen when he played against the Deep South teams.’’

Mr. Davy was a member of the Tennessee Sportswriters Hall of Fame, the Metro Schools Sports Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Among his favorite assignments were covering the NCAA basketball tournament, particularly the Final Fours, the growth of Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball program, and golf on all levels.

Mr. Davy covered Tiger Woods as an amateur and was at Woods’ first Masters championship. “I got to see Tiger play the greatest round that ever was,’’ he said of Woods’ first Masters title.

He wrote a book, “Beat ‘Em and Beat ‘Em Bad,’’ about one of Nashville’s biggest sports fans, Chuck Ross, a mentally challenged man who was a mainstay at Nashville sporting events, especially Lipscomb University. The book was part of fund-raiser to insure that Ross was cared for after the death of his mother.

After he retired, Mr. Davy drove cancer patients to their hospital appointments and was involved with volunteer work for his church, and as he did throughout his career, he entertained friends and family with stories of life sports’ personalities, games, and particularly, stories that only sportswriters knew.

He talked of his competition with the Banner, Nashville’s afternoon paper, and with his friend, Edgar Allen. The two competitors were covering a golf tournament in Memphis when Allen became ill with an inner ear problem and couldn’t leave his room.

The two agreed that Mr. Davy would write the stories for both of them and keep it a secret. While the competition between the two papers was intense and real, friendship was more important that week.

He was part of a group of sportswriters who covered SEC football, called the Skywriters who would be flown from campus to campus during the preseason. He remembered that often the plane, an older model, would have a notice on it, “This plane is in bankruptcy,’’ and of a writer who enjoyed speaking over the intercom and describing the great plane crashes of history.

“It was a party week, but I can’t tell all of the Skywriters stories or I’ll get sued,’’ he said, then as always, would end with his characteristic joyous laugh.

There will be a private Graveside Service held at Woodlawn Memorial Park with Bill Watkins Officiating. Please like us on Facebook @WoodlawnRoesch to view a Facebook live streaming of the Graveside Service. With the recent outbreak of Coronavirus, we will postpone Jimmy’s Celebration Service until the CDC’s regulations allow. As a family, we want to be respectful as all of us join to lessen the spread of the disease. When the appropriate time comes, we will update the information at this site and use the benefit of Face Book and social media, as well. Our family looks forward to the time that we can celebrate and remember together.